COURSE TITLE: History

GRADE LEVEL: Fourth

UNIT: Gene Stratton Porter

Abstract:

During this unit, the students will be learning about Gene Stratton Porter. The lesson will begin by teaching the students about her as a person, her two houses, and the history of transportation during her time period. The main focus of this lesson will be the sources of transportation during her lifetime in the areas that she lived, as well as her own unique car and the way that she transported her plants with it.

Focus Questions:

Who was Gene Stratton Porter?

What did Gene Stratton Porter achieve in her lifetime?

How did Gene Stratton Porter use transportation?

Benchmarks / Assessment Tasks / Key Concepts
SS.4.1.9 2007
The Civil War Era and Later Development: 1850 to 1900. Give examples of Indiana's increasing agricultural, industrial, political and business development in the nineteenth century.
SS.4.1.12 2007
Growth and Development: 1900 to 1950. Give examples of Indiana's increasing agricultural, industrial, political and business development in the nineteenth century.
SS.4.1.15 2007
Chronological Thinking, Historical Comprehension, Analysis and Interpretation, Research: Create and interpret timelines that show relationships among people, events, and movements in the history of Indiana. / Students will:
Create a timeline pertaining to Gene Stratton Porter and her lifetime achievements.
Compare transportation then and now, using Gene Stratton Porter’s car as an example. / Transportation
Automobile
Limberlost
Horticulture

Instructional Resources:

Indiana Memory:

·  (Front and West of Limberlost Cabin) https://digital.library.in.gov/Record/IHS_P0391-670

·  (Home in Rome City) https://digital.library.in.gov/Record/IHS_P0391-382

·  (Picture of Gene Stratton Porter) https://digital.library.in.gov/Record/IHS_P0391-1061

·  (Limberlost Cabin) https://digital.library.in.gov/Record/ISL_p15078coll6-127

http://www.genestrattonporter.net/

http://forums.aaca.org/f156/gene-stratton-porters-auburn-265096.html

http://www.indianamuseum.org/sites/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/becca3k/sets/72057594130902949/detail/

Teacher Made Materials:

Catalog of Lessons:

Lesson 1: Who was Gene Stratton Porter?

This introductory lesson will introduce Gene Stratton Porter’s life. We will go through her life, including important events and people, in a chronological format. We will create a timeline to use as a visual and to help the students remember everything.

Lesson 2: Gene Stratton Porter Houses

In this lesson, the students will learn about the two houses Gene Stratton Porter lived at during her adult life – Limberlost and the house in Rome City. We will explain to the students about the significant role her houses played in her books and her photographs. The students will then compare the two houses.

Lesson 3: Gene Stratton Porter Books and Photographs

The teacher will produce a slide show of photographs from Gene Stratton Porter. The teacher will give a background of each of the photographs. These slides will help the students in an urban area understand forests.

Lesson 4: Early Car Transportation and Roads

The students will be shown pictures of cars from today and cars from when they were first created. The students will have to compare and contrast any differences they can see from the picture alone. The teacher will then present facts of each different car in the form of sentence strips and the students will have to decide which sentence strips belong to which car. We will discuss why each sentence strip goes with the correct picture.

Lesson 5: Gene Stratton Porter’s Car – A Picture Analysis

The students will be shown a picture of Gene Stratton Porter near her car. First, we will ask the students what they notice about the car. We will take note as to how the car looks different than today’s car, what she is carrying in the car, and why she would need to carry certain items in the car.

Assessments:

Assessment 1: Timeline

Abstract: The students will be assessed based on the timeline that they will be making which will contain major life events in Gene Stratton Porter’s life. They will be assessed using a rubric that will check to see if they have correct information as well as if the timeline is nice and neatly put together.

Prompt: The students will work independently and use a computer with Internet to complete the assessment. They will also need a poster board as well as markers and any other craft supplies they see fitting to complete the timeline.

Directions:

1. Research Gene Stratton Porter and her major life events.

2. Make a timeline in chronological order for her and the noteworthy events in her life.

3. Use two or more sources for the information.

Procedures: Explain to the students that they will be making a timeline about Gene Stratton Porters life. Go on to tell them that they will be using the Internet to find at least two sources to gain the knowledge about her and the noteworthy events in her life. Have them choose which events they are going to put on their timeline and put together the actual timeline on a poster board. The students will be writing a paragraph on the back of their timeline. It will need to cover the environmental connections to today. They will also need to include the positives and negatives of Gene Stratton Porters environmental strategies. They may present and decorate the poster any way that they want, but it needs to be chronological and nicely laid out. Students will be posting their timelines in the local library in the transportation section.

Category / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Timeline / Students marked 0-2 points in Gene Stratton Porters’ life / Students marked 3-5 points in Gene Stratton Porters’ life / Students marked 6-7 points in Gene Stratton Porters’ life / Students marked all 8 points in Gene Stratton Porters’ life
Research / Students did not use any types of sources for this project / Students will show one type of sources they used for this project / Students will show two types of sources they used for this project / Students will show three types of sources they used for this project
Pictures / Students have 0-1 pictures on their timeline / Students have 2-3 pictures on their timeline / Students have 4-5 pictures on their timeline / Students have 6 pictures on their timeline
Total

Assessment 2:

Abstract: The students will write an essay about how transportation is different from when Gene Stratton Porter was transporting her goods. Write about the positives and negatives. Do you think it is better now or then? Why or why not? Give examples.

Prompt: The students will work alone. In order to complete the assignment, the students will need a piece of paper and a pencil.

Directions:

1: Students will be asked to think about transportation today and transportation back in Gene Stratton Porter’s time period.

2: Students will draw out a Venn diagram to compare the differences between modern day transportation and transportation during the time of Gene Stratton Porter. Students will need to include positives and negatives about both subjects.

3: The students will answer the following questions in a paper format: What are some positives and negatives about transportation now? How about then? Which time period do you believe would be better for transportation? Why or why not?

Procedures: After lesson five, the teacher will ask the students to get out a sheet of paper and a pencil. The students will be asked to compare car transportation from when Gene Stratton Porter drove to now. They will use her car as an example, as well as any car they can think of from today. The students will ultimately answer the question, “Which time period had the better means of transportation?” The students will write about the pros and cons of both. After they have written the pros and cons of each, the students will explain which they believe is better and explain why they believe so. We will be putting their essays in a book and will be put on display in Gene Stratton Porters house.

3 points / 2 points / 1 point
Gene Stratton Porter’s Car / Lists pros and cons of Gene Stratton Porter’s car. / States either pros or cons, but not both, of Gene Stratton Porter’s car. / No pros or cons listed.
Cars of Today / Lists pros and cons of cars of today. / States either pros or cons, but not both, of cars of today. / No pros or cons listed.
Which is better? / Student states which mean of transportation is better / Student does not state which mean of transportation is better.
Evidence / Student provides at least three reasons to back up their opinion / Student provides 1-2 reasons to back up their opinion. / Student provides no reasons for opinion on which is better